Hi FME Community,
I’m working on a project where I need to create a 3D cone shape in FME 2025 and publish it to ArcGIS Online 3D viewer. The cone should:
- Start at ground level (let’s say Cape Canaveral X, Y, Z coordinates).
- Have a base radius of 500 m.
- Extend in a cone shape getting wider upwards at a 7° angle.
- Reach approximately 50 km into space (so it’s a very tall, tapered cone).
I’ve tried using combinations of Creator, Taper Line Bufferer, Rotator, and SurfaceBuilder, but I’m struggling to generate the correct geometry and export it in a format that ArcGIS Online accepts (e.g., Collada, OBJ, or multipatch).
Challenges I’m facing:
- Generating the circular base and apex points accurately.
- Applying the 7° tilt without breaking the geometry.
- Ensuring the output works in ArcGIS Online’s 3D environment.
Has anyone successfully built something similar in FME?
- Which transformers or workflow would you recommend?
- Any tips for handling such large Z values (50 km) and coordinate systems?
- Variable input items into the Workspace such as: Ground X, Y, Z - cone max height, - cone angle of growth, etc.
- Best practices for exporting to ArcGIS Online?
Any advice, examples, or workspace snippets would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks in advance, Here’s a rough image of a cone area which has a shape that represents a safe rocket launch buffer. Note this is all made up and in no way real.
